Love?
by Mione's Phantom
Summary: Lily finally begins going out with James. But something in Snape's past is hanting him, and when Sirius is injured, will James be able to take the lessons of love Lily is teaching him and apply it to his life? No slash. Please R & R.
1. Chapter 1: Love?

So, here's my first attempt at a Harry Potter fan fic. It's a marauder's fic, and I'm not sure if I'm going to leave it as a one-shot or continue it on. I'll have to think about it. I have an idea, but I'm afraid it's too cliché….so, we'll see. I'd really really LOVE the feedback and if anyone has any questions or suggestions feel free to ask! I hope that I caught all the mistakes on this, and I looked up all the spellings that I found, if I spelled anything wrong please note it! And please please please review!

Thanks and lof to all,

Mione's Phantom

Chapter One?

"Someone remind me what we're doing." Sirius sighed, watching as five cards—emblazoned on the back with the words _Mullane's Mug, London_ and an overflowing beer mug—were placed in front of him on the bed.

"Playing poker." Remus replied, looking down at his own cards.

"But why!" Sirius leaned his head on his hand allowing his shoulder-length hair to fall forward in an overdramatic-gesture of exasperation.

"Because, Prongs wants to." James—who had just finished dealing—replied.

"Prongs also wants to talk about himself in the third person." Remus said, leaning over towards Sirius, as if to pretend that James wasn't meant to hear the comment.

James grabbed the top card off the deck and flicked it at Remus. It hit him squarely on the nose.

"Ow." The other boy scowled and rubbed at where the card had struck him.

"Don't worry, it blends right into the mark where you tripped over your own paws and ran into a tree last night." Sirius laughed; Remus smacked him with a pillow.

"If I remember, you shoved me into that tree." Remus replied "And at least I didn't screw up as bad as Prongs." as James took the pillow from Remus and hit him for the comment.

The marauders were stretched out over James and Sirius's beds, which they'd pushed together since they all didn't fit on just one. James had his foot shoved out to the side, propped on two feather pillows. It was bandaged from ankle to mid-calf. Remus was leaning against the bedpost and Sirius lay on his stomach propped up on one elbow.

"Now, somebody remind me how you play this game." Remus peered blearily at his cards, as if he had suddenly forgotten how to read.

"Look," James folded his fan of cards and placed them down on the bed, leaving his hands free to gesture. Something that Mooney found very condescending. "You get five cards. You keep your best—you want to make pairs, flushes, etc. you throw away the trash, and I give you new cards and—"

Sirius grabbed James's wrist; he had been pathetically miming dealing. "You win as much money as is humanly…or wolfishly possible." He finished.

Lupin laughed dryly, he still looked quizzical about the process of the game, but didn't say anything.

Pulling his wrist away from Sirius's grasp, James picked up his cards. "Deuces are wild, aces are better, and you have to be wearing mismatched socks to open."

"WHAT!" The other boys chorused, both slamming down their cards and giving James equally dirty looks.

"What, in Merlin's name, does that mean?"

"James is just trying to show off again." Sirius said, remembering the account of the previous night. "Sorry, Jamesy, no girls here for you to show off for."

This time, Sirius rolled out of the way when James tried to hit him. "I'm opening." He said and tossed a bronze knut into the center of the red comforter.

"Let me see your socks!" James demanded.

"Shut up, Prongs." Remus grabbed one of his own coins and tossed it in.

James threw in the money, and then retrieved the deck from where he had placed it. "How many cards?"

"Two." Sirius gently laid two of his old cards down with a flourish.

"You'd think Wormtail would be back by now." James muttered, handing Sirius his two new cards.

"I know! It shouldn't take this long to go to the infirmary, rob it, and come back." Remus said, also exchanging two of his cards.

"Better be soon, you two are such skimpy gamblers." James complained. "It'll cost you a sickle more to stay."

"Oi!" Sirius tapped the side of James's head. "I thought you hurt your leg, not your skull. You didn't switch cards!"

"I don't need to, thank you. And my head is fine thank you." He looked languidly at his injury. "My leg is another issue…"

"Stop whining, it was your own fault." Sirius scowled at his cards, and after seeming to have a silent debate with them he tossed in the extra silver coin.

The quidditch player chewed at his lip. It had been his fault…slightly. But James hated to admit that, even in his head. He'd let his heart run wild.

Last night had been the full moon, and, as usual, Remus had made his journey to the Shrieking Shack, and also, as usual, close on his newly forming tail had been his three transfigured friends.

The somewhat shy, book-smart boy was terrifying as a werewolf His soft-blue eyes were an eerie copper in color and his gentle smile had been replaced by an evil, toothy sneer. His shoulders and chest were broad with huge amounts of muscle. His muscular back was covered in mangy, gray-brown hair. Long, sharp, yellow claws curled from his paws. Scruffy was most likely the best word to describe him, a word that would never have dared to be used to describe Remus Lupin.

James's stag form fitted his somewhat ostentatious personality perfectly. James described it as "noble"; Sirius preferred the word "cocky". His normally sturdy shoulders became wider and more powerful, tan skin—from too much time spent at quidditch practice—became graceful silver-white hair.

And if James's animagus form was perfect, then there were no words to describe Peter's. His mousey appearance and personality was an ideal match for the rat form. Glassy eyes and sharp nose only became smaller when he transformed not but miniature copies of his human ones. Ears rounded and his body became covered in the ragged, brown fur.

Sirius's black dog form was the most puzzling. Sirius's sarcastic nature would have more easily lent itself to a fox, and his grace and good looks to a stallion, but somehow, his dog form suited him. No one could quite put their finger on why…Maybe he had a sort of fetish for smelling things? But, whatever the case, Sirius wasn't telling. That was yet another reason James thought he should make the change permanent, he was much more amiable as a dog.

Once the customary battle to assure Remus that they were friends, not prey, had ended the group moved out of the Shrieking Shack and into the night.

The autumn night was cool and clear, the golden, harvest, full moon hung above their heads as a constant reminder to the true nature of one of their companions.

The group wandered the woods; werewolf and dog chased a rabbit until it eluded them down a hole. For a while, the four creatures raced in the moonlight, enjoying the freedom their animal shapes offered. There were no rules here. Remus could forget the constant fear and hatred with which the world treated him. Sirius could leave the disgust he held for his family. Peter could forget his father's drunken and abusive rages. And James? James left behind the pressure to be perfect, as much as he loved the limelight, the drive to be the "golden-boy" was tiring.

Another thing he thought he left behind was his secret love for the girl Lily Evans. James Potter could—for his success on the quidditch pitch—have any girl in the school—except Lily.

She thought him conceited, rude, and cruel, and, therefore, had no interest in him, whatsoever.

But still, James loved her. Perhaps her refusal of him made her even lovelier in his sight and made him more determined to win her. But if there was one thing that James knew, it was that he loved Lily Evans, and he would die for her.

Remus was the one who scented the humans first. Two of them, young, one female and one male. Before his friends had realized what had happened, Remus was gone, in pursuit of the scent.

James and Sirius stared for a moment and then simultaneously understood what had passed. Exchanging a knowing glance they dashed off after Mooney; Peter close on their heels.

Lupin was gone now; the werewolf had taken over; rabid without rational thought. The scent in his nose was so strong and his animal senses filled with the desire for blood.

James was faster than Remus and had intercepted him with in a matter of seconds. But the wolf had scented the humans, and did not want to be stopped. He leapt for the stag's throat, but James lowered his antlers and kept the wolf at bay. Remus tried darting around him into the woods, but James stepped quickly, always keeping himself between the werewolf and the humans.

Sirius raced out of the woods. Snarling, he leapt onto Remus pinning him to the ground. The two dogs were locked together, yipping and growling, as jaws locked against skin.

Seeing that Padfoot had Mooney distracted, for the time, James moved into the woods. They'd done this before when Remus had felt the blood-lust surge in his veins. It wasn't the first time they'd had to combat his werewolf tendencies. A year ago, a man had almost been bitten, after that, they'd developed a strategy for these occasions.

James—being the most handsome and elegant creature—would distract and ultimately lead away or frighten away whoever was in the woods, while Sirius kept Remus under control. Peter would alert James if anything went wrong with Padfoot and Mooney or when Mooney was a safe distance from the spot and had been subdued by the black dog.

James heard two low voices—one female and one male. _Bloody hell! Couldn't lovers have enough privacy in empty corridors or unused classrooms? Did they have to come here to have their snogging sessions?_

James couldn't make out the exact conversation, not like he really cared to know. Some lovers conversations were so terribly cliché and utterly disgusting that it would surely make him vomit…if deer were capable of that reaction.

Deciding that he'd better act before he found out, James stepped forward towards the border of the clearing, but before he could step in and reveal himself, his steps faltered.

The girl was Lily Evans.

Her red hair was loose and fell in thick waves away from her head across her bare shoulders. She wore a lavender tank top and a pair of loose-fitting pajama bottoms. A gray blanket was wrapped around her shoulders, trailing to the ground, where dried autumn leaves clung to the bottom.

The other, James didn't recognize. He had dark hair and was still dressed in his black school robes. His chest heaved from sobs or perhaps from exertion. Had there been a chase? Had he been running away from Lily? Or pursuing her?

Lily was breathing slightly heavily too. She moved closer to the boy. "It will be alright." She whispered and tried to drape her arm around him. "You couldn't have done anything."

James was jealous to see another boy in her arms, even if it was just a gesture of consolation.

But the boy shoved her arm away. "Leave me alone." He growled.

She must have chased him out here.

To say that James's curiosity was sparked would have been the understatement of the year. He was enraptured. Not only did he want to know who the boy was, but why had Lily followed him here, and who was he that he seemed so ready to deny her comfort.

James hated to admit, even to himself, that he liked just watching Lily. The moonlight puddling on her shoulders….

…the moonlight….

….Mooney…

James lurched forward, his devotion to his friends superseding his lust for the girl. One of his hooves caught on a root, which snapped, sending him falling to his knees.

The black-haired boy looked up, but before James could see who it was, the boy had fled. Lily called after him, "Wait!"

James struggled to rise, but the bulk of his form made it difficult in the confining space. More branches crackled and leaves rustled; Lily stared into the woods. James could tell she was frightened, her shoulders were shaking and her eyes cast furtive glances to either side, obviously making sure that escape routes were still open to her.

Two snarling barks erupted out of the woods behind him, he couldn't tell if they were Sirius's or Remus's, but it didn't matter to Lily, she had taken off towards the castle.

But James didn't want to let go of her that quickly. On his fleet, stag, hooves he pursued her through the woods. He tried to tell himself that he was only chasing her to make sure that she was safely away from Mooney before he returned…but he knew that wasn't true. He just wanted to see her.

She broke through the trees; James a step behind her. Lily froze and turned slowly. She had been breathing haggardly from fear and her flight, but when she saw James, her gasping stopped.

James stepped closer towards her, removing his whole stag form from the woods. The girl didn't move, except to mouth the words, _Lord Almighty_. James moved very slowly, he didn't want to frighten her away again—but she was afraid of the same eventuality.

Slowly, very, very, slowly, she reached out her hand and touched his white shoulder.

James longed to show her who he really was. Perhaps some nobility of this form, might be shown to her in his human form. And he would have transfigured right then and there, if the black-haired boy had not chosen that very moment to step out from behind a tree. His wand was raised, even though his hand trembled.

Lily didn't notice the boy and James didn't want to move. Lily's hand on his shoulder was so comforting, so real, he didn't want to stir and break the spell.

But the boy had no qualms about disturbing his contentment.

He screamed a spell, his hand trembled as he cast. The pale red beam of light missed James—mostly.

Some of the spell struck his left leg, slicing open a deep gash there.

Blood flowed out of his white haunch, staining the hide there crimson.

The boy raised his wand again.

"Severus! No!" Lily screeched and leapt towards the boy.

James had been ready to turn and retreat into the woods. Whatever reason the boy had to attack him, he didn't want to be around to find out—but that name stopped him.

"Severus!" Lily screamed again.

_What had Severus Snape been doing wrapped in Lily Evans's arms? That slimy, dark-obsessed idiot! And what reason could he possibly have to attack an animal in the woods?_

But Snape wasn't listening to Lily. He kept his quivering wand raised.

Several things happened at once. Severus moved his lips on another spell; James lowered his head and charged at the boy, intent upon fatally gouging him with his antlers; Lily leapt between boy and animal.

James saw her move and nearly tripped trying to stop himself quickly enough, Severus's spell barely missed Lily, singeing a few of her hairs on its way to burn a large scar in a nearby tree.

Lily slowly opened her emerald eyes, as if surprised to still be living.

"Don't hurt him." She whispered to the deer. She was talking just to be talking, in some belief that her voice—which she kept low and calm, even though she secretly wanted to scream inside—might calm the animal. "He just lost his mother—"

"—I don't need you to defend me, mudblood! And I don't need your pity!" Snape spat.

James started forward again, ready to rip Snape limb from limb.

But Lily continued to stand between the stag and the boy, willing to give her life for a boy who had cursed her assistance and her.

James didn't understand. _What kind of love was this?_

Lily's eyes looked pleadingly into his. She saw the human intelligence there behind those glassy, brown eyes, and for a moment, as their gaze locked, the creature reminded her of someone, but she couldn't place who.

James turned towards he woods and allowed the leafy-darkness to swallow him up. He knew he'd always love Lily Evans, but he wondered if he could ever understand what love truly was. Not love the way she displayed it. Love that would allow her to save someone who had cursed her.

The door opened and Wormtail slipped in.

"At last," James sighed. "Now we can play with real money!"

"Sorry! Madam Pomfrey kept me forever!" Peter flopped down on the bed, sending the neat pile of cards tumbling into a heap.

"She caught you!" Sirius snapped.

"No, but she really wanted to know what I was doing near her potions cabinets."

"But did you get it?" James asked massaging his leg. "I really don't feel like explaining to her how I ended up with a six inch gash on my thigh." Then, putting on a high falsetto he said, "I'm sorry, ma'am, but I was gallivanting in the woods, in an animagus form, that I secretly learned to do, against ministry and school regulations, making sure that my werewolf friend didn't lose control when—"

"—I saw the love of my life and had to go chasing after her!" Sirius cut in, clapping his hands to his heart in an overly-dramatic gesture. "When, without provocation, her dirty, little friend attacked me."

James gave Sirius a death glare. Sirius raised an eyebrow, trying to look affronted, as if James had been the one to mock him, instead of the other way around.

"Are you sure you didn't see her friend's face?" Remus asked. It was an odd question for the boy who usually discouraged his friends' revenge seeking natures.

James paused. Lily had protected Snape. Could he display that much love? For her sake? She would have given her life for him, could James not, keep his identity a secret? Love?

"No, I didn't. Wormtail, where's that potion!"

"Oh, yeah." He pulled it out of his pocket and tossed it to James.

James snagged it out of the air and began fumbling to undo the bandages on his leg.

Sirius, Peter and Remus had commenced arguing over who could have hexed James. "What about Taria Antona? She's always hanging out with Lily." Remus suggested

"Yeah, but she LOVES animals, she'd never hex a stag." Sirius replied.

"Oh, yeah." Remus replied, somewhat sullenly.

"What about Molly Meadows?" Sirius leaned forward so he could rest his chin in his hand, in an attempt to appear pensive about the matter.

"Couldn't be." Peter responded. "She was in the infirmary. Madam Pomfrey said she'd been there all week, she's got some sort of odd flu."

They continued arguing; poker game forgotten.

"Krista Druer?" Remus asked, flicking his wand towards the bandages James was still struggling with; they fell off immediately.

James gave him a look that clearly said "why-didn't-you-do-that-before?", but it was lost on the back of Remus's head, as he'd already gone back to arguing.

James uncorked the flask.

"What about Severus Snape?" Peter asked.

James's hand froze.

"What would he be doing with Lily Evans? He hates the girl! A sudden change of heart, Snivellus!" Both Sirius and Remus erupted into raucous fits of laughter.

James sighed silently and poured a small amount of the liquid onto the wound. It took a few seconds before the green, sticky, liquid bubbled and the flesh quickly sealed over. But not quickly enough, the other three had already gone back to arguing.

"It doesn't matter. Who ever it was we're not going to figure it out, unless they decide to try it again in the hall. Now, are we theorizing or are we gambling?"

After a few more muttered suggestions, the topic was dropped and the poker game resumed. But James's mind was no longer entirely on the cards, and because of it, he managed to loose a fair amount of money.

But it didn't matter.

He was thinking about Lily, something he'd be doing more and more of over the next few weeks. And as a result he'd loose more than money.

Review! You know you want to!


	2. Chapter 2: Hamsters and Hallway Meetings

I updated! Finally! LOL!

Disclaimer: Actually! I really am J. K. Rowling! And I just write fan fiction for kicks! ….what? I'm not! sobs Ok, so none of this is mine….even the hamster isn't mine, he belongs to Sirius now…..sob I don't even have a hamster! Oh well, I do own a dog toy shaped like a dragon that is on top of my computer!

drum roll The fic!

* * *

Chapter Two

Hamsters and Hallway Meetings

* * *

"Padfoot, where are all my socks!" A barefooted James demanded, turning to his roommate who had just walked in.

"What—" Sirius began, but James cut him off.

"Socks!"

"I was going to say 'what the bloody hell are you doing?' but somehow the fact that you're missing your socks explains all of this." The dark-haired boy replied sarcastically, gesturing to the chaos that was the room around him.

"Droll, Sirius, droll, now help me find some bloody socks!" James ripped out the drawers to one of the night tables and began searching through its contents, scattering them on the floor with the other clutter. He nearly hit Sirius in the head with a bottle of ink that he had thrown over his shoulder.

"Prongs!" Sirius ducked and watched the ink bottle shatter against the wall, leaving a dark stain on the wallpaper. "There aren't going to be any socks in the night stand drawer!"

"If you're so bloody sure you know where they are, then help me find them!" He began attacking his own bed next, ripping off the sheets and even yanking pillows out of their cases, in the continued quest for socks.

"What are you doing? There are no socks in your bed!" Sirius was utterly exasperated by now and about ready to strangle his roommate and best friend.

James finished ripping apart his bed, and still having found no socks, he turned to the bookshelf.

"THERE ARE NO SOCKS ON THE BOOKSHELF!" Sirius screeched—a noise he had never made before.

James didn't answer, but continued to ravage the bookshelf.

"Why don't you just take a pair of mine?" Sirius ripped the most recent victim—a transfiguration book—from James's hands.

"Yours don't fit me." James snarled and moved away from the bookshelf.

"Then, wear the ones you wore yesterday!"

James looked horrified by the suggestion. "What would she say?"

Sirius dropped the book he was holding. "She who?"

The quidditch player pretended he hadn't heard.

"She who!" Sirius repeated.

"No one. I just need socks."

"Dammit, Prongs! By Merlin's beard, if you don't tell me what the hell is going on, right now, I'll make it so you can never find a pair of socks again!" Padfoot shouted.

James stood silent for a moment. "That's quite a threat." He finally muttered.

"Dammit, Prongs! She who!"

"I told you! Nobody!" James barked, but it was obvious he was lying.

Padfoot threw himself across his bed towards James to tackle him, but his foot caught on a pile of books and he fell onto the bed. His side collided with a bundle of something hard. "Ow." He mumbled and reached his hand under his side, where he located a pair of socks. Rolling over he tossed the socks from hand to hand, "Fine then, Prongs, don't tell me."

James saw the socks…his socks. He leapt across the room, but he too tripped as his foot became entangled in the mass of sheets he'd stripped from his bed. "Padfoot, give me the socks!"

Sirius pulled out his wand, and flicked it at the socks; they immediately became a large white hamster. "What socks?" He smirked foxily.

"Padfoot, you…"

"Hey! Hey! No language, Prongs. Or I'll set my hamster on you." Sirius brandished the large hamster threateningly. Of course, the hamster didn't much like being waved about, and began squirming trying to get away from Sirius.

"Just give me the socks!...Hamster!" James corrected himself and dove for the writhing ball of fur.

Sirius rolled out of the way, but as he did the hamster flew from his hand and scurried across the room. The terrified little creature took refuge under the armoire, where it remained even with James's repeated attempts to coax it to come out.

"I'm going to be late!" James whined as he held a large leaf of lettuce—which had at one point been his History of Magic homework—which he'd transfigured—out to the creature.

Sirius's curiosity was peeked intensely. "What are you going to be late for?" He asked, trying to act nonchalant in an attempt to catch James off guard.

"My date with…." James trailed off, realizing that he'd said too much.

"Lily?" Sirius screeched—that was the second time in an hour he'd made that noise.

James blushed scarlet. "Yes."

Sirius began swearing loudly; James glared at him. "Prongs! Why didn't you tell me?"

James didn't answer; his cheeks were still bright red. "Come here little hamster. Come on you mangy little cotton ball!"

The hamster still had no interest in coming out. It had curled up in a ball and gone to sleep.

"Merlin, James, you should have told me." Sirius continued. "Here" He pulled something out of his pocket and tossed it at the back of James's head. It was a pair of socks. "I would've given them to you, but you baiting that hamster was too funny!"

"Sirius you really are a—"

"—say it and I'll take the socks back."

"Thank you!" James quickly jammed his feet into the socks and leapt up, leaving the lettuce on the floor. "Sirius, I owe you!" James grabbed his room mate and kissed him on the nose.

"AUG!" Sirius shoved James away. "Get out!" He grabbed a pair of shoes and chucked them at Prongs.

James quickly slipped on the shoes and bolted from the room. Watching him go, Sirius scrubbed the place on his nose where James had kissed him with his sleeve.

He was still doing this when Remus entered the room. "Sorry, Padfoot, you're nose won't come off, it's attached."

"Cute, real cute." Sirius pulled his sleeve away from his nose.

"I try." Remus chucked his books down on his bed, as he did so, he glanced around the room for the first time. "What the bloody hell happened here?"

"James happened." Sirius replied.

"What'd he do!"

"He tore the room apart, because he was looking for socks." The dark haired boy replied, matter-of-factly.

"So, he ripped all the books off the bookshelf?" Remus cocked an eyebrow.

"Yes, he's going on a date with Lily, and he said he had to have clean socks." Sirius paused, a devious glint rose in his eye. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Well, if you're thinking about having James installed in a padded ward at St. Mungos, because it's obvious he's gone raving mad, then yes. If you're not thinking that, then no."

"Then you're not thinking the same thing. I think we go spy on James's little romantic getaway." Sirius's dark eyes had grown wide and his demonic grin was huge, showing all of his wolf-like teeth.

"Padfoot, we can't do that." Remus said, even though, he actually did want to see what James was up to. "We can't just wander around after him, Prongs isn't stupid—sometimes bigheaded—but not stupid! He'll catch us."

"Oh, my werewolf friend, that's where you're wrong!" Sirius leaped over his own bed and began rummaging through the wreckage between his bunk and James's. "We'll just borrow some of James's property." He bounced up again, holding the invisibility cloak in one hand.

Remus nearly agreed at that instant. He'd always been the calm one of the bunch, not ready to charge into these things. And some sense of duty kept him from crying out, "let's go!", instead he said, "Padfoot, we can't."

Sirius lowered his eyelashes and gave Remus the infamous puppy eyes. "Come on, Moony…..pwease?"

Remus looked at the other boy. "Fine! But we won't stay long."

Sirius laughed joyfully, and quickly threw the cape over himself and Remus and quite literally dragged him from the room.

* * *

Lily opened her book and leaned against the trunk of a large willow tree. She seemed intent upon the page she was "reading" but her mind was a million miles away. Why had she finally agreed to go out on this date with James? He was arrogant, self-obsessed, rude, and not Lily's type…but here she was sitting under a tree waiting for him. She didn't know what it was that had made her say yes this time. James asking her out on a date had almost become like a long running joke between the two of them. Every few days he'd jump her in a corridor or sweep down on her at lunch, always with the same foolish looking attempt at a pleasant smile on his face. And then he'd ask, and she'd always say no. But when he'd asked her last time, something had been different. He'd caught her half way into transfiguration class, "Oi, Lily." He'd hailed her. Then he'd pounced on her with that same inane grin and asked her if she'd go out on a date with him. She'd wanted to say no, but the moment before she could, their eyes met. And there was something familiar in that gaze, something soft yet almost feral. Before even thinking about it, she'd found herself saying, "yes."

So here she was, Lily Evans, waiting for James Potter to show up. She glanced down at her watch. It was 2:08, James was late.

She wasn't surprised, he'd probably become too involved in his reflection in the mirror, or been set upon by a gang of adoring girls. He'd saunter up and toss his hair in that way that he thought girls found dreamy, but Lily just found sickening and effeminate. He'd probably do something stupid like grab her around the waist and make no apology for his tardiness.

_If he does I'll smack him!_ She thought.

She looked down at her watch again 2:11. Maybe it had been some joke and he'd stood her up.

_What am I doing?_

The longer Lily sat there the more she wanted to just get up and leave, what _was_ she doing? Why had she said yes?

She kept thinking back to the look in James's eyes, and she knew she's seen those eyes before, somewhere. If she could just remember…

"Lily?" James asked, he was standing next to her, looking down

She regarded him slightly coldly. "James, you're late, you said you'd be here at two." She glanced at her watch, it was 2:15.

James blushed and mumbled, "Sorry." Lily was slightly taken aback, he had apologized. "Sirius transfigured my socks into a hamster."

Lily looked at him for a moment as if he had gone completely mad, then she started to laugh. "A hamster!"

James chuckled uncomfortably. "Yeah."

"A hamster!" She roared with laughter, she was laughing so hard that tears were pouring from her eyes. "A hamster!"

"It really wasn't that funny." James muttered.

"And I thought you were looking at your own reflection." Luckily the words were too obscured by her laughter for James to understand what she'd said.

* * *

"I thought it was that funny." Sirius chuckled, and Remus nudged him in the ribs.

"Shut up! You're going to get us caught!" Mooney hissed.

"Spoil sport." The other boy grumbled.

* * *

"So, is this hamster currently on your feet?" Lily asked.

"As far as I know he's still cowering under the dresser." James sniffed, trying to sound as if the hamster had offended him by this action, but he was secretly hiding giggles. Lily Evans was laughing and she was going on a date with him!

Lily laughed again. "So where did you find socks?"

"Sirius had been hiding them." James replied matter-of-factly.

* * *

"Want me to transfigure his socks from here?" Sirius reached into his pocket for his wand.

"Padfoot!" Remus admonished, and smacked Sirius's hand. "You said you'd be good."

"Sorry, mum." Sirius replied sarcastically.

* * *

"You want to go walk around the lake?" James asked.

"Sure." Lily replied, and tucked her book under her arm and stood up. As they walked, she let James take her hand and they headed around the lake.

* * *

"Let's follow." Sirius took a step after James and Lily.

"Padfoot, come on, you've seen enough." Remus took a step in the other direction, stretching the cape to its limit. "And Prongs will see us."

"You're such a coward! Come on!" He tried the puppy eyes again, but Remus wasn't going for it this time.

"I'm going back to the dorm—" Seeing his out, Sirius's eyes lit up, but Remus headed him off. "—and you're coming with me."

"You're no fun." Sirius pouted, hoping that his sad eyes would have some affect on Remus, they didn't.

"Come on."

Sirius pouted all the way back across the yard. He was refusing to speak to Remus in some sort of childish tantrum. But he wouldn't be able to stay silent for long.

As the boys entered the castle, they headed up the grand staircase, where they met up with Peter.

"Where have you been?" He asked.

"Stalking James." Remus replied.

Peter looked confused.

"James is out with Lily, and Padfoot wanted to watch." Lupin clarified.

Peter raised an eyebrow. "She finally agreed to go out with him! What did they do?"

"They just talked and then they went for a walk around the lake."

"And Remus, the bastard, wouldn't let us follow!" Sirius interjected angrily.

Remus brushed off the remark as if it hadn't been made. The group was halfway down an empty corridor, when they ran into Severus Snape.

"Look, Remus, it's Snively." Sirius said, his former animosity towards his friend forgotten as it was replaced by true hatred towards his enemy. He withdrew his wand from his pocket and kept it at his side.

Remus knew he should stop Sirius, but he after stopping him from spying on James he thought Sirius needed a little fun.

"What are you doing out? I thought beasts were kept confined to the forests." Snape addressed Remus, sneering coldly.

"Don't speak to him!" Sirius leapt forward pointing his wand at the greasy haired boy's throat. Even though Remus had thought he'd keep his temper, he found his hand curled around his own wand; Snape's remarks about him being a beast had become tiresome.

"Put that thing away before you stab yourself with it, that's the only thing you'd be able to do with it." Snape snarled.

Sirius growled deep in the back of his throat. "You bastard! I ought to…"

"You couldn't get far, blood traitor." Snape kept his gaze level and apathetic, letting all his emotion show through his cold sneer and condescending tone.

"What do you say we give Snivellus a way to remember to keep his tongue in line?" Peter said, stepping up next to Sirius, wand drawn.

Snape's unfeeling gaze still didn't falter, but his hand crept into his robes and grasped the handle of his own wand.

"We'll see whose a traitor to their blood!" Sirius cried and as he did Snape whipped his wand from his pocket and all four boys shouted spells at the same time.

* * *

James heard the explosion from the other side of the lake. His head shot up from where it had been resting on the top of Lily's. Some sort of alarm went off in his head, and it felt as if something had ripped into his chest. "Sirius, Remus, Peter!...SIRIUS!" He took off around the lake, towards the castle.

* * *

Hee hee, slightly cheesy ending? No? But please review anyway! THANK YOU SO SO SO MUCH! I hope you all liked it! And I'll TRY to update soon!

And I hope the sections where it went back and forth between James & Lily and Sirius & Remus weren't too confusing!

Click the button! You know you want to!


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